Women's Bantabaa aspiration is always to tell a story that has never been told and bring a story to public that are always waving the flag of freedom yet standby silently with the concerning situation of the people, their narratives, their perspectives, their understanding of the world around them, without feeling that they are constantly defending their religious and cultural identity.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

John Belford, the Judiciary
Secretary has said
Wowo was never appointed at acting chief justice because he did not receive any
letter to that effect.

“I have
never complain to any authority about Wowo acting as Chief Justice, because I was
looking to receive executive orders confirming the acting appoint,” he
testifies.

Minutes
of an emergency meeting which was given to him to read by the defense lawyer
shows that former CJ, Agim told judicial commission that he was handing over to
Wowo.

“Agim
told the meeting that he was resigning as the CJ and handing it over to justice
Wowo.” Belford read from the minutes of the meeting as order by the defense
lawyer for 1st accused (Wowo). “He said he (Agim) informed the
government that he has picked up another appointment in Nigeria.”

According
to Belford, he was not present at the meeting and wouldn’t know whether any
judge was absent or not.“But I did circulate
the minutes of the meeting to the judicial commission members” he said.

He said
he did not received any letter from the AG chambers protesting the activities
that took place at the meeting

Pa Harry
Jammeh has refuted allegations that he conspired with Ex- justice minister and
Njogu Bah against ex-chief justice, Joseph Wowo who is currently standing trial
in a different matter at the High Court in Banjul.

“I did
not conspire with anybody and I was not aware of any conspiracy” says
ex-Solicitor General and Legal Secretary.

Jammeh made this
refutation as he enters his defense in the criminal trial also involving Dr
Njogu Bah, former Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service and also
minister of Presidential affairs Bah, and Lamin Jobarteh minister for justice,
on allegations of giving false information to a public servant, abuse of office
and conspiracy to carry out a lawful purpose by unlawful means.

He said
he did not conspire to remove justice Wowo by an unlawful means. “Wowo was a
personal friend, I have nothing against him and still do not have,” Jammeh
said.

According
to him, it’s his friendship with him that why he did not say anything when he
was summon by then justice minister (1st accused) to attend a meeting
Wowo was part of.

The
Special Criminal Division was packed with family members, love ones and well as
well wishers as the National Treasurer of the opposition United Democratic
Party, was being escorted to the courtroom by plain cloth officers.

After
one week in the hands of the National Intelligent Agency, Amadou Sanneh, Sambou
Fatty and Malang Fatty were arraigned before Justice Nkea at the High Court in
Banjul.

Sanneh and
two others were arrested and since then have been have been in custody at the
headquarters of the National Intelligence Agency in Banjul over what the NIA
described as a failed attempt to help a young man seek political asylum in
Finland.

The
state have brought charge(s) against all the accused but they could not take
their plea. Sambou Fatty whose appearance prompts the judge to ask what was wrong
with him is yet secure the services of a lawyer. The same thing goes to Malang
Fatty.

Sambou
couldn’t stand straight while on the dock, he was twisting throughout before
the court order that he should be made to see a doctor at the Edward Francis
Small Teaching hospital.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Leader of United Democratic Party
(UDP) this morning went home as free man after spending more than one hour at
the NIA headquarters in Banjul.

Lawyer Ousainou Darboe who told journalists on
Tuesday that he has been called by the NIA for questioning have some of his
supporters outside the headquarter;
while others were at a nearby restaurant to wait for the outcome

When he finally came out of the NIA
building, some of his supporters rush to shake hands with him while others put
your hands together to cheer him up.

However, a perturbing look could
clearly be seen on his face as he tells his supporters to remain calm.

Darboe drove away without speaking
to journalists who approach him to find out the outcome of the questioning.

On Tuesday, a press conference was
held at Mr Darboe’s residence in pipeline regarding the government’s recent
statement that they (UDP) are tarnishing the country’s image.

His respond came after his party was
blame of dissolute activities by ‘casting a very bad and negative image of both
the Government and noble people of The Gambia’ by the government.

‘‘These people and institutions
specialize in lying and providing false attestations for would-be asylum
seekers using the main opposition party (UDP) as a platform for such nefarious
activities, thereby casting a very bad and negative image of both the Government
and noble people of The Gambia,’’ the government said in statement according to
local newspapers.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Abuja,
Nigeria, October 3, 2013--Gambian authorities should immediately release Fatou
Camara, a journalist who has been held incommunicado since September 17, the
Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The government has not disclosed
Camara's whereabouts or any charges against her, according to news reports.
Camara,
a broadcast journalist and TV host of the popular "Fatou Show," a weekly current
affairs show that airs on the state-owned Gambia Radio and Television Services, was arrested by agents
from the National Intelligence Agency on
September 15 and released on September 17, according to news reports. She was re-arrested hours later in front of her children and has not
been heard from since, local journalists told CPJ.
Camara's detention runs counter
to the Gambian constitution, which allows only a detention period of 72 hours
without charge.
"Fatou
Camara's continued illegal detention without charge for over two weeks now
violates the constitution President Yahya Jammeh swore to uphold," said Peter
Nkanga, CPJ's West Africa consultant. "The authorities must explain why they
are holding her, or she must be released immediately."

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About Me

Binta A Bah is a young Gambian journalists/blogger who is excited, on the sustainability reporting front which she took as massive a headway as a career. She is the publisher of women’s Bantabaa, an online blog which focuses on human rights, particularly women’s right, press freedom and freedom of expression. She started the journalism trade with The Daily News in 2009 while pursuing a one year certificate course in journalism at Insight Training Center. She hold a diploma in journalism. At The Daily News, she rose through the ranks to become a senior judicial affairs correspondent. She has a vast experience of covering high profile cases including treason trials. She run the ‘Musoolula Bantabaa’ on the Daily News, a weekly column that focuses on women’s affairs. In 2011, she was awarded The Daily News Journalist of the year. She now works with the Standard Newspaper as an associate editor following the closure of The Daily News by state authorities.